Of the 779 complaints made to the PPCA, 22% (148) of the complaints were “Failure to provide the necessities of life without a valid consent.” Was Section 215 of Criminal Code applied?

Recorded were 36 incidents of sexual contact, activity or behaviour. Were the police called and the Criminal code applied?

434 of the 457 investigations were carried out by persons contracted to government and therefore cannot be held accountable for their performance.

Perhaps most troubling item is found on Page 12 of the Report, Appendix I, entitled BATHING INCIDENTS.

“In 2004/05, there were several complaints made to the PROTECTION FOR PERSONS IN CARE relating to residents who sustained burns from bathing.”

These “bathing incidents” happened the year of the Jennny Nelson scalding which was widely publicised across the country in early January of 2004 with Press Releases and Press Conferences. Also made public was the fact that another senior was fatally scalded (blanched) at the same facility some years earlier.

January, 2004, Marguerite Rowe RN, a Chief Operating Officer of the Capital Health Authority spoke on public television informing the public that detailed bathing instructions would be posted in every long term care facility bathing room and that all caregivers would have to adhere to these instructions. The public was assured such horrific incidents would never happen again. Obviously this was not true.

Until these crimes against vulnerable Alberta citizens are recognised as criminal offences, vulnerable persons will not be safe in long term care facilities.

Furthermore, when one considers that one letter or complaint, essentially represents 100 letters or complaints, consider the magnitude of the problem.

We are again MAKING A LOUD CALL for an Alberta wide Registry which will list those who abuse, neglect and prey on the vulnerable elderly.